15,000 gallons of sewage spill into LA River, prompting Long Beach shoreline closure
Sewage spill triggers shoreline closure in Long Beach
A six-mile stretch of the Long Beach shoreline was closed for swimming following a massive sewage spill.
LOS ANGELES - A six-mile stretch of the Long Beach shoreline was closed due to high bacterial levels Thursday after 15,000 gallons of sewage spilled into the Los Angeles River.
The closure impacts the coastline east of the LA River and west of Long Beach’s Belmont Shore neighborhood.
According to Long Beach city officials, the spill was reported in the city of San Gabriel on Wednesday. The spill made its way to the LA River and made its way to the Long Beach shore, officials said.
"Water from the Los Angeles River connects to the Pacific Ocean in Long Beach, which means pollution anywhere upriver can affect the coastal waters and other waterways in the city," the City of Long Beach wrote in a press release Wednesday.
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Officials warned the public not to swim at beaches west of Belmont Shore in the wake of the spill. It's unknown when the beaches will reopen.